Carbon Tetrachloride in Wild Island Florida Water

Unhealthy Levels of Carbon Tetrachloride in the Water Supply of Wild Island Florida Homes

Carbon tetrachloride is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that can reach drinking water when industrial solvents or stored chemicals contaminate groundwater. You may also see it called tetrachloromethane on lab reports. As a VOC it can travel with water and sometimes becomes noticeable when water is aerated at the tap, but taste or smell aren’t reliable ways to detect it. In Wild Island, where heavy seasonal rains and occasional hurricane flooding can affect wells and source-water quality, the only reliable way to know what’s in your water is to have it tested.

Because some VOCs dissolve without changing how water looks, many Wild Island homeowners opt to treat water at the point it enters the house so every faucet and fixture is covered. A whole-house system treats water used for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry and cleaning — important because volatile compounds can be released into indoor air during showers or while washing dishes. If testing shows carbon tetrachloride (tetrachloromethane), choose a solution specifically built for VOC reduction rather than a basic sediment or particulate filter.